Folding chair.



C. A. SCHAEFFER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1911.

Patented June 4, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- C. A. SCHAEFFER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 1911.

1 ,268 63 1 a Patented June 4, 1918.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

CALVIN A. SCHAEFFER, OF BBEN'IWOOD, MARYLAND.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, 1918.

Application filed April 3, 1917. Serial No. 159,456.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN A. SCHAEFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brentwood, in the county of Prince Georges and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Wlll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to chairs and more particularly to folding chairs and has for its primary object to provlde a chair that can be folded so as to occupy a comparatively small space, whereby the same can be conveniently carried around.

Another object is the provision of means whereby the chair can be quickly set up for use or quickly taken apart for transportation or storage.

A further object is to provide a chair of light weight, but which combines great strength and durability. i

A still further object of the invention 1s the provision of a chair, which in its folded form can be readily inserted in a bag for transportation.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of a novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspectlve view of the improved folding chair in its set up position,

Fig. 2 represents a fragmental front elevation of the chair partly in sections,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4: is a detail fragmental view partly in section of the back of the chair showing the means of mounting the removable back iece p Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the chair partly folded,

Fig. 6 represents a fragmental side elevation of a modified form of the chair,

Fig. 7 represents a fragmental plan view of the modified form of the chair, and

Fig. 8 is a view of the bag used for transporting the chair in its collapsed position with the chair protruding from the same.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 generically indlcates the improved chair which consists of front and back supports 2 and 3 forming a portion of the seat frame 4 and having their ends reduced as at 5 and threaded. The front and back supports 2 and 3 receive the seat 6, which is preferably formed of canvas, and has its front and back edges doubled as at? to form back supports 2 and 3.

Secured adjacent each end to the front and back supports 2 and 3 are U-shaped members 8, which pivotally receive the legs 9 of the chairs, the legs 9 being pivotally secured to the U-shaped members 8 by means of a pivot pin 10 inserted through registering apertures formed in the legs of the U-shaped members 8.

Extending from one leg to the other are brace members 11 and 12, which cross each other as at 13 and form a suitable brace for the air and prevent the same from rock- The brace members I1 and 12 are pivota-lly secured to the le s 9 of the chair adjacent their upper ends y means of pivot pins 14 and the brace members have their lower ends notched as at 15, to hook over pins 16'.

The back frame 17 of the chair is formed of upright supports inserted in pockets 20 formed in the back 21 whichis preferably formed of canvas. The supports 18 and 19 are enlarged at their lower ends and bifurcated as at 21 and are positioned over the reduced ends 5 of the front and back supports 2 and 3. The upright supports 18 and 19 of the frame 16 have their upper ends removably fitted in sockets 22 formed in the connecting bar 23, which is preferably curved as at 24 and holds the upright supports from bending inwardly. Braces 25 are pivotally secured adjacent their upper portions to the inner sides of the uprights 18 and 19 by pivot pins 26 and they have their lower portions notched as at 27 and hooked over pins 28 secured in the side supports 29 and 30 of the seat frame.

The side supports 29 and 30 are notched as at 31 adjacent the ends thereof and are hooked over the reduced ends 5 of the front and rear supports 2 and 3 of the chair seat.

The bifurcated portions 21 and 31 of the upright supports 18 and 19 and the side supports 29 and 30 are held in position on 18 and 19, which are pockets for the front and the reduced ends of the front and rear supports 2 and 3 by knobs 32 which have threaded sockets 32 receiving the reduced against the shoulders formed by the reduced portions 5 and prevent the accidental displacement of the same.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is illustrated another form of connecting the side supports 29 and and the upright supports 18 and 19 to the front and rear supports 2 and 3 and in this form the side supports 29 and 30 are provided with transverse apertures 33 which receive thereduced ends 5 of the front and rear supports 2 and 3 and are held on the same by clips 34 pivoted to the side support 29 and 30 by a pivot pin 35. The clips 34 have downturned ends 36, which are adapted to be inserted in apertures 37 formed in the reduced portions 5.

Blocks'38 are secured to the inner sides of the side supports 29 and 30 .at the rear ends thereof and have apertures 39. formed therein, which receive the lower ends of the upright supports 18 and 19, and the same are prevented from being accidentally displaced by set screws 40.

A bag 41 having removable ends 42 is rovided to receive the chair when the same 1s folded, so that the same can be readily transported. It is to be understood however, that the bag 41 can be dispensed with if so desired and a strap secured around the chair to hold the same in its folded condition.

When it is desired to fold the chair the knobs 31 are loosened or the clips 34 are swung back (depending on the form used) and the side supports 29 and 30 are taken ofi' of the reduced ends 5 of the front and rear supports 2 and 3 and then the upright supports 18 and 19 are removed and the connecting bar 23 is taken off the upper ends thereof and the brace rods 25 are thrown back parallel with the uprights, which allows the whole back frame to be folded up and then the braces 11 and 12 are unhooked fromthe pins 16 and swung back parallel with the legs 9, which allows the legs to be swung upward parallel with the front and back supports 2 and 3 (as is clearly shown in Fig. 5) and hence the same can be folded up owing to the flexibility of the convas seat, and the whole device can be readily inserted in the bag 41.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the accompanyin drawings and referred to in-the above escription, as the preferred embodiment, is' the most efiicient and practical;. yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as set forth.

What I claim is: v

A folding chair comprising a folding frame consisting of front and back supports having reduced ends, said ends being threaded, a flexible seat connecting the front and rear supports, a pair of legs hingedly 7 connected to each of the supports, side supports having notches formed therein adjacent each endto hook over the reduced ends of the front and back supports to hold the same in their extended position, a folding back frame consisting of a pair of back sup ports, flexible means connecting the back supports, the lower ends of said supports being bifurcated to fit over the reduced ends of the rear support of the seat frame, and means threaded on the reduced ends of the front and rear supports of the seat frame for holding the side bars and the back supports of the back frame in position on the reduced ends of the frdnt and rear supports of the seat frame, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CALVIN A. SCHAEFFER. Witnesses:

DAVID J. GoRBER, JOSEPH SMITH. 

